Elon Musk has been blamed for the death of a 31-year-old, after crashing his Tesla while using the self-driving ‘autopilot’ technology.
Genesis Giovanni Mendoza Martinez, 31, was crushed to death on February 18, 2023, after using his Tesla’s ‘autopilot’ drive – allowing users to take a back-seat while the car drives itself.
A lawsuit has been filed by Mendoza’s parents, Eduardo and Maria, and his brother Caleb, who was also injured during the crash.
They are currently blaming company’s CEO Elon Musk, after allowing the ‘ill-equipped’ feature to be used on the roads.
Tesla has argued that the cars have ‘a reasonably safe design as measured by the appropriate test under the applicable state law’.
(Contra Costa County Fire Protection District)
They also suggested that accident may have been partly caused by Mendoza’s ‘own negligent acts and/or omissions’.
“No additional warnings would have, or could have prevented the alleged incident, the injuries, losses and damages alleged,” the company responded in a court filing.
But it’s not just the family who have blasted the company for its futuristic features.
The US government has made its stance clear, as transportation secretary Pete Buttigieg in particular, has strongly opposed the ‘autopilot’ technology.
Attorney Brett Schreiber, who is representing the Mendoza’s, told the Independent: “This is yet another example of Tesla using our public roadways to perform research and development of its autonomous driving technology.
“What’s worse is that Tesla knows that many of its earlier model vehicles continue to drive our roadways today with this same defect putting first responders and the public at risk.”
He added that the loss of Mendoza was ‘entirely preventable’.
Elon predicted that the system would be better than ‘human drivers’. (Chesnot/Getty Images)
The attorney described Tesla’s ‘autopilot’ feature as ‘ill-equipped to perform’, and accused them of ‘rushing’ to push product out.
The Mendoza family says their son was persuaded to buy the car after seeing an abundance of marketing from Musk, showcasing the self-driving feature.
Schreiber added: “Giovanni believed his claims were true, and thus believed the ‘Autopilot’ feature with the ‘full self driving’ upgrade was safer than a human driver, and could be trusted to safely navigate public highways autonomously.”
The vehicle he was driving had been in auto-pilot for 12 minutes prior to the crash, and had been driving at an average speed of 71mph.
It collided with a firetruck at a high speed, resulting in his death.
Four firefighters also suffered minor injuries as a result of the failed autopilot system.
And Mendoza isn’t the first to have been victim of a crash using the feature.
Between 2015 and 2022, Tesla customers reported 1000 crashes using the system, and over 1,500 complaints about sudden, unintentional braking.
UNILAD have reached out to Tesla for comment.
Hundreds of Tesla owners have hatched ‘plans’ out of ’embarrassment’ as the company’s CEO has been accused of making a ‘Nazi salute’ during Donald Trump’s inauguration rally.
Elon Musk is at the center of controversy after the billionaire tech mogul appeared to make a bizarre gesture during the president’s inauguration ceremony yesterday (January 20).
The SpaceX founder and Twitter owner was accused of doing a ‘Nazi salute’ while onstage at the Capitol One Arena, Washington.
The 53-year-old appeared to be excited by the idea of sending an American to Mars, during which he thumped his chest with his fist and shot his arm at a certain angle.
He commented: “Thank you for making it happen. Thank you, my heart goes out to you,” before turning back to the audience and repeating the move towards the American flag.
Dozens of viewers flooded social media with their thoughts on the matter, accusing Musk of making a ‘Sieg Heil’ as clear as day’ – and not only once, but twice.
Musk himself has addressed the comments on his Twitter account while the Anti-Defamation League claimed it was an ‘awkward gesture in a moment of enthusiasm’ as opposed to a ‘Nazi salute’.
However, it seems some of Musk’s customers have been left uncomfortable by the slip up.
Over on Reddit, thousands of Tesla owners have been debating how they feel about their vehicles after the incident, with the question posed by the OP: “Are you going to do anything about it?”
Customers claim they won’t buy a Tesla again (Christian Marquardt – Pool/Getty Images)
Some claimed the move had completely turned them off from ever investing in a Tesla, while several resigned to trying to flog them out of ’embarrassment’ to be seen driving them and said they never would have forked out had Musk pulled such a stunt before.
Others said they feel ‘stuck’ with their vehicle for now but vowed never to purchase another Tesla.
One user replied: “I’m stuck with my car for now but I won’t be buying another Tesla.”
Another added: “I don’t have the financial freedom to take a huge loss selling my vehicle. Instead, I simply won’t give Tesla any more money going forward, and my next vehicle upgrade will probably come sooner than it may have otherwise.”
While a third claimed: “I’m 100 percent buying an EV and 100 percent not a Tesla in the next 12 months before of Elon only… Would have probably bought a Tesla otherwise.”
The comments come as thousands report issues with the Tesla Cybertruck (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
The comments come as already Tesla’s brand value took a whopping $15,000,000,000 hit due to issues with the CyberTracker build and millions being recalled.
But Brand Finance CEO David Haigh also suggested Musk’s actions have played a part, too.
He said: “If you are buying electric vehicles, his persona is highly likely to impact your view of whether or not you want to buy one of his company’s cars, but that’s only one of many factors.”
UNILAD has contacted Tesla for comment.
Elon Musk has once again caused a stir in Europe after making a controversial ‘Nazi guilt’ comment just days before the anniversary of the liberation of the notorious concentration camp, Auschwitz.
It comes just over a week after the world’s richest man was accused not once, but twice, giving a ‘Nazi salute’ during President Trump’s inauguration on January 20.
The Tesla CEO has also faced criticism from car-maker rivals after throwing his support behind far-right political party Alternative for Germany (AFD), claiming it is the country’s ‘only savior.’
And after his latest remarks, a Polish minister has called for a nation-wide Tesla boycott, claiming ‘no normal Pole’ should be buying the brand.
On Saturday, Musk gave a speech during a virtual campaign for the controversial German party, where he claimed the country ‘focuses too much on past guilt’ which is something that needs to be ‘moved past’.
“Children should not be guilty of the sins of their parents or even their great grandparents,” he said.
Musk appeared virtually at Alternative for Germany’s election campaign (Sean Gallup/Getty Images)
His remarks echo the stance held by far-right Germans in an attempt to bury their Erinnerungskultur – or ‘culture of remembrance’.
Musk’s comments came weeks before Germany’s February 23 election and two days before the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, one of the many concentration camps operated by Nazi Germany during World War II.
Some 1.1 million people were murdered at the camp – located in Poland – between 1940 and 1945, the majority of who were Jewish.
Polish Sport and Tourism Minister Sławomir Nitras condemned Musk’s comments and has since called for a Tesla boycott.
Elon Musk was accused of twice making a ‘Nazi salute’ during Donald Trump’s inauguration (ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images)
“No normal Pole should buy a Tesla anymore. There needs to be a serious and tough response to this, including something like a consumer boycott,” Nitras told Polish media on Monday.
Further reprimanding Musk, Nitras said the tech entrepreneur ‘with his billions may not feel the threat,’ but that ‘any ordinary person living in the heart of Europe, who surely remembers what happened 80 years ago, cannot look on indifferently.’
He continued: “This is a hydra that can reappear. Especially on a day like the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, we must remember this and speak out loudly in defence of the truth.”
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Sport and Tourism Minister Sławomir Nitras called for a Tesla boycott (Gov.pl/Wikicommons)
Nitras highlighted that the billionaire’s statement ‘says more about Musk than about Germany,’ adding that he hopes ‘Musk’s remarks will lead to the AfD getting a worse result than the polls have predicted.’
“Nobody likes interference in their internal affairs,” he said.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk also laid into Musk, describing his comments as ‘ominous, especially just hours before the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz.’
